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Just do some research and look at what is in the food. Look at where the protein comes from, either meats, vegetables, or grains. Just because a dog food states they have 30% protein, doesn't always mean protein from meats so it is always a good idea to see where they get their protein from. Some dog foods put a lot of corn gluten to boost the protein levels of the food which in the long run can actually hurt your dog in their later years. Kidney problems or liver problems for example. It's best to look for a dog food where the protein comes from the meats and not corn or other grains. I know grain free dog foods are expensive, but victor grain free is a very reasonably priced grain free dog food. Also, Victor's regular dog food which contains some grain is also pretty good when looking at the ingredients and is a little cheaper. An excellent place to look at grain free foods is http://www.a1petemporium.com/dog_foods.htm

I've been using Loyall dog food for a while now and it's great. It is very affordable and you can feed less and keep weight on, lots of foods claim you can feed less but it's not always the case!! Great coat and tons of energy, it's a great food in my opinion!

dog food

Pet food is not affordable. In fact, it expenses more per pound than chicken the majority of the time. After all the first time veterinarian visits and all the surgeries you need when the pet is little, it costs a lot less to look after them. Still, constant food costs can be really overwhelming an expensive, but it is worth the cost for a loving pet.

They were good foods about 10 years ago, before M & M Mars bought the brand. Multiple brand recalls later, including food that made a cat of mine violently ill (literally wiping down the walls from explosive diarrhea), the entire brand is mediocre at best. The quality just went way downhill.

Some talk about Loyall but just look at the ingredients list because it's about as bad as they come, mostly by-product and fillers in the primary ingredients and that's their "high performance" food. The brand is owned by a grain company that specializes in horse feed, Nutrena.

I have fed a bunch of foods including Nutro, Innova, California Natural, Canidae, 4Health, Orijen, Wellness, Avoderm, and Nutrisource, to name some of the brands. For the money and for the quality of the ingredients, Earthborn Holistic is the best I've found. I get it at a local feed store as it's about $7.00/bag cheaper there. As hard as I train my trial dog, the Primitive Natural formula is the only food I found that has enabled him to maintain his weight and coat. It is a very rich formula and is definitely not for all dogs. I recently helped a buddy with his young chocolate male and got him to switch the dog over to the puppy formula from Eukanuba Large Breed puppy. After he settled into the food about two full months into it, the difference was extremely noticeable. His coat got like an otter's, tight, dense, and slick. His muscle tone was great. He looked like a racehorse with his coat and the visible muscularity in his shoulders and hips. No, I don't sell it or work for the company. It's just a great product that I really believe in based on the results in multiple dogs.

Last edited by J. Walker; 09-20-2013 at 11:05 PM.

"When a good trainer stops learning about dogs, he stops being a good trainer." the late Gene Hill

"If you want to find out what kind of trainer you are, leave your transmitter in the truck." the late Rex Carr

Your dog is not too young to be on sport. Recommendations for puppies, active dogs, pregnant bitches and lactating bitches are for a 30/20 or greater. I feed PPP sport to all the dogs in my kennel from the time that they are weaned until the time that they die. Only two dogs that I have ever fed that food to have had problems. One had a metabolic disorder and couldn't metabolize protein very well and the other had ear infections which was found out to be a chicken allergy and was resolved by switching to PPP lamb and rice. Sport has more EPA and DHA than focus which are needed for puppy brain development and also people fail to realize that the fat content is where most of the nutrients come from not to mention the fact that fat is what coats synapses in the brain. I would highly recommend that you do not switch from a high fat food during your dogs development. You would be better off sacrificing protein than fat. JMO based on a lot of research by a lot of people much smarter than me on the subject.

This is what I thought too. I was always told that the calcium and phosphorus in the food is what causes growing problems? correct me if Im wrong